IDF soldiers and soldiers worldwide have an issue with battle rations — they are usually not very tasty and the menu doesn’t change very often, if at all. Enter a revolutionary product that transforms the ordinary canned tuna (found in every battle ration box) experience into a culinary delight. This innovative tuna flavor “infusion” is designed to elevate the taste of canned tuna, turning a basic, simple meal into a gourmet delight.
The packets come in a variety of flavors, each containing carefully curated blends of dehydrated vegetables, herbs, spices and seasonings. Simply mix the contents of the packet into the can and let the magic happen as it releases a delightful flavor into the tuna. The result is a real symphony of taste that goes beyond the usual blandness associated with plain canned tuna. After adding the product, you wait for about five minutes, ensuring a quick and convenient upgrade to your canned tuna meals.
Chef Stuart Reichman of Teaneck is the mastermind behind this tuna product; in Hebrew it goes by the name Tuna Taim Tacti, which translates as Tasty Tactical Tuna. Reichman had been in Israel in the 1980s and served in the IDF at the time. He well remembered getting the “privilege” of eating battle rations then. He came to Israel this past August and accompanied his son who is studying at the hesder yeshiva (a yeshiva program which is combined with IDF service) in Gush Etzion. Reichman stayed through the Tishrei holidays and when the Gaza war broke out, he started to volunteer at a variety of places.
One of the places in the very first days of the war where he helped was at Shmaltz, Ephraim Greenblatt’s tasty Ashkenazi restaurant in Jerusalem; he did barbecues for the soldiers heading to the front lines. Reichmann noticed that the battlefield rations being given out by the IDF hadn’t changed and tuna is still the main protein supplied. After experimenting with several options, he used his training and experience as an industrial chef to create his Tuna Taim mixture. He wanted something which was more than just spices, didn’t need heating or cooking, and wouldn’t spoil. Walking through Jerusalem’s Machane Yehuda market (the shuk) gave him the inspiration by seeing the vendors with the piles of various dehydrated veggies and spice mixtures.
His flavors include falafel (with dried chickpeas, bulgur and spices), Italian (with basil, sun dried tomatoes and olives) and spicy (harif with dehydrated “zchug,” the common Israel red and green spicy condiment). All packets also contain a variety of the dehydrated vegetables, which mix well with and absorb the oil in the cans of tuna.
Reichman is doing this on his own for now, collecting donations from friends and family. He hopes to become an official business or hook up with a nonprofit, get his official kashrut certification and then start mass production. “I just want to help the soldiers. Take one less worry off their shoulders while they’re fighting this war,” Reichman said.
For more information about Tuna Taim Tacti, visit tunataimtacti.com.
Arnie Draiman is a philanthropic consultant helping people and foundations give their tzedaka money away wisely, efficiently and effectively for over 25 years. In addition, he consults to hi-tech start-ups and is an expert in social media marketing and promotion. He can be reached at [email protected]
